


Dreams Spilling From a Pillow

by TheLoneliestofAll



Category: Yume Nikki | Dream Diary
Genre: Drabble Collection, Dreams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-28 00:44:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20957651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLoneliestofAll/pseuds/TheLoneliestofAll
Summary: A collection of dreams, both original and inspired by the scenes, worlds, events and characters in the game.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yume Nikki is a game that means a lot to me. I'm not entirely sure I can exactly measure how much, though. All I know is that it's lodged so deeply in my heart that nothing will ever tear it out.
> 
> Madotsuki, as simple of a character as she is, at least on the surface, means more to me than probably any other character I can think of at the moment of writing this.
> 
> Why, I can't say. But she does. I've put so much of her into my internet presence, from using her as a profile picture to using her name as a screen name on a lot of sites and such. For this reason, I feel a connection to her. So, these stories will more than likely be pretty deeply tied to me, and the way I feel deep down, as well as how I imagine Madotsuki to feel.
> 
> I'm aware of how difficult it is to really nail down the experience in writing. I've read the light novel and while I do love it, and what it did... It didn't capture the same feeling.
> 
> Still, I've tried to catch that lightning in the metaphorical bottle myself. These will hopefully be extremely faithful to what made the game so great in the first place.
> 
> Hopefully.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all continue to enjoy Madotsuki's dreams as I do. And I hope you enjoy these stories.

The train shook in a way that was almost comforting, and the monotonous sound of the wheels hitting the nonexistent tracks was as soothing as the sound of a mother's heartbeat.

Madotsuki calmly sat in her seat, staring out at the lights whizzing by in the outer darkness. The sources of the lights were never visible through the hazy glass windows, but she felt a warmness come through in the glow of them.

The darkness inside the train was relaxing, and with what little light there was coming in through the windows created an atmosphere that was neither oppressive nor consuming. It was as if she were wrapped in her blanket snuggly, the soft sound of her heater halfway across the room keeping the night chill at bay.

She moved her focus away from the windows, blinking slowly. A few seats down from her on the opposite side there was someone else on the train. In the absence of light all she could make out of this lonely passenger was their form.

They were big, with a gut that seemed to jutt outward. If indeed they even had a gut.

Getting to her feet, Madotsuki stepped towards the entity, and without any fear sat down beside them. She could hear their loud, but gentle rhythmic breathing. The being seemed to pay no mind to her. Even as she stared at them.

After a few minutes of sharing in the comfortable silence, Madotsuki grew weary of the company and sought isolation once more. She brought two fingers up to her cheek…

And pinched.

Her eyes slowly opened. She got out of bed, rubbing her face softly as she dragged herself over to her desk, flicking her desk lamp on and opening up the dream diary that took center stage.

She grabbed a pen.

_ Click. _


	2. Rain

Madotsuki continued walking. The sky was black, the ground was black. Everywhere was black. And as if it had been raining, there were puddles adorning the void that was the ground.

In the puddles were reflected clouds in a sky that wasn't black. But their stormy nature left Madotsuki preferring the darkness.

The darkness may have been all consuming and it may have been empty, but at least in that sense it was predictable.

The mirror like puddles rippled with each step she took through them. With every fall of her foot she anticipated a plunge. As if she would go right through the puddles and pass into that other world, falling endlessly through a tempestuous sea of cumulonimbus.

It wasn't what she wanted, of course, but it was what she expected.

She had sought the lonely solitude of the darkness solely for its consistent nature. Alone, she could control every second of every day, and not a thing was demanded of her except that she exist. It was just easier that way.

Every so often Madotsuki would pass by a street lamp, lit up so brightly and yet not lighting up much of anything. It was as if the lamps gave off no lumination whatsoever, despite being so radiant.

Madotsuki paid them no mind, continuing ever forward in her trek through the vacant space until she came upon a sight that made her stop in wonder.

In the middle of all the nothingness was a red umbrella, the color so striking against the absence of any.

She knelt down and picked it up, studying it only briefly before opening it. She twirled it in her hands, giving a faint but empty smile. She heard thunder in the distance and her smile disappeared.

It started raining.


	3. Forest

Madotsuki found herself in a quiet place. Statues of green stone surrounded her. She couldn’t decide if it was the shade of bamboo or freshly misted grass. The smell was of the ground after rainfall, and distant melodies drew her focus in multiple directions at once. Walking slowly in the only direction that was obvious in the maze of stone, forward, she carefully navigated a minefield of pebbles and stones. Each step she took seemed to add another note to the melody, as if the music was coming directly out of every footfall.

It brought a little bit of a skip to her step, the melody turning more and more delightful every second.

Just outside of her vision, the stones shifted, changing shape and taking the form of trees, or something somewhat resembling trees. There was a slight breeze, and suddenly the area was alive with movement as all of the stone leaves danced.The melody changed to reflect this, and the further on she went the pebbles and rocks grew into tighter bunches before seemingly merging into stepping stones just big enough for her to stand on.

The stones began to dip down into the ground with each and every step she took, the notes playing out with each step also dying down, as if being wrapped up in the softest cotton. Ground gave way to water, a layer of moss decorating its clear surface. Finding it harder to balance, Madotsuki was relieved of her duty by a wooden bridge. She didn't exactly know when she stepped onto it, but she couldn’t deny that she was indeed standing on a thin wooden surface that extended some ways into the distance. It was barely big enough.   
  
Turtle shells were breaking the surface of the water over the sides of the bridge and the sounds of frogs now echoed about the narrow passageway. Madotsuki had never been to a place like this. She never would.

The wooden bridge grew wider, leading into an opening. A large, open space, circular in shape, was revealed to her. As she stepped off of the bridge a couple of statues drew her attention. They were almost diabolical looking, and didn’t match the almost magical feeling that the space gave her. They almost reminded her of classical paintings of yōkai from the Edo period. The serene sounds of nature suddenly quieted down, and all she could hear was the occasional rustle of stone from the wind.   
  
In the middle of of the clearing was a small lake, probably quite big enough to swim in. But she didn’t have the slightest inclination to do so. A bit off to the side was a table with two chairs, upon which was a tea set, traditional in make and appearance. In one of the chairs sat a young girl.

Madotsuki stared at the girl for some minutes, trying to deduce her age. She was much younger than her, and her hair was a bright gold. She was pretty, much more pretty than Madotsuki had ever hoped to be.

The sound of the lake’s surface being breached made Madotsuki turn to see a being crawling onto dry land, its green skin and rough shell being the most striking features, though the dish on its head and its big black eyes were in fair competition. Madotsuki recognized this being as a kappa right away. She held back the urge to bow, instead simple watching the being walk up to the table and take a seat, happily engaging in a tea party with the young girl.

She didn’t want to interrupt. The girl was elated to see her friend, the kappa, so Madotsuki simply kept looking around. It seemed the space truly was a dead end, however. Not the first she had encountered.

Taking a seat by the lake, she wondered if such a thing was a good idea. After all, she could be pulled under, if the kappa had a family. But then again, she did have a way out if need be. She decided to relax, distancing herself from the quiet interaction going on near her.

Staring at the still water, she looked into her eyes, and then through them. Clear, all the way to the bottom. There was a small cave, a sign beside it that read: HOME, and some seaweed. She briefly wondered what it would be like living underwater. The silence, the calm, the isolation. Maybe it would suit her better than her little apartment.

She reached into the water and it didn’t ripple. She pulled out her hand, bringing it up to her face as if inspecting a wound.

It was as dry as bones.   
  
_ Pinch. _

**Author's Note:**

> Shameless self promotion because I have to eat: https://ko-fi.com/loneliestofall


End file.
